I have had some people asking me where part 3 of my blog entry is at, I am sorry it has taken a while to get to writing this - time is just flying by!

So I think the last time I wrote here we had just received our second set of guests. It was a bit mental for a while here as we have had full weeks with lots of salmon obsessed people! We must have had a few days with 10 guests here so it was a bit hectic at times, mornings were the worst as they would all filter in for breakfast at varying times, and we worried at times we had not prepped enough food! Each group needed boxes prepared with tea, coffee, snacks and drinks, the correct licences for each person needed organising and then the logistics of ferrying the various groups to the river. Jonny did the driving as we had the one car and getting everyone to the river when they all want to get there at opening time was a bit stressful. Sometimes the guides would pick them up which would help heaps. Then it was time to prep lunch, sometimes they would take grill food to cook by the river which was good for us as it gave us more time to do the shopping, clean etc... and other times they wanted to come back to the lodge for lunch, and sometimes each group wanted to do different things! It was all a major learning curve but I think we coped quite well, and the most amazing thing was Jonny and I seem to be able towork well together....without arguing!! (for those that know us this is quite a big achievement :D)

Over the weeks and various groups things started to settle as we averaged maybe 4- 6 people which was much more manageable. The guest we have had have been really awesome, all friendly and happy to just be fishing in a stunning part of the world, so this made our job fairly easy and satisfying!

I have learnt a lot about salmon fishing since I've been here, firstly people get salmon fever and become utterly obsessed, and secondly salmon fishing is tough and you have to be committed. I have learnt that river height, temperature and clarity effects things hugely, and the perfect day is a very rare event. Some of the guests were unlucky with the conditions, and others struck it hot. People come here for the chance to catch a personal best salmon, as the salmon here can grown to great sizes. Some of our guests managed to catch their PB salmon and others caught salmon but will need to come back again next year for another shot at their PB! One week on of the members of the Reisastua family landed a massive near 40lb fresh salmon, his face says it all - disbelieve at what this river is capable of producing! This beautiful fish was released to finish his journey and share his genetic code for future generations of monster Reisa salmon!

Jonny and I managed to get away to fish when we could, but often this was just and hour or two, or on sunday switch over day we got a few more hours in between guests. I started to learn why salmon fishing was 1. addictive and 2. soul destroying! I concentrated on my casting when fishing, trying hard not to think about the fish, the more I expected a pull the more crazy it would make me when it did not happen. I have never experienced so many blank days before! I started to dream about salmon and starting to love and loathe it at the same time.

One afternoon we went down to a Sone which was quite hard to cast in, high banks and high water and lots of trees. I went through the pool and snagged so many times! Jonny followed me in the pool, but I was so wound up I needed a second to sit and calm myself - so Jonny skipped ahead....you can guess what happened next right? Yep, he bagged a nice 18lb salmon.

So this added pressure to things for me, and I realise its only me who puts pressure on myself.

One afternoon we had no salmon licences so we strapped up our kayak and went to explore a lake down the road - mosquito heaven! But we had a really fun day catching some really awesome Perch and Pike, and we even had a front seat at a moose show!

So we continued the search for salmon, Jonny was super sweet and let me fish first all the time so I had the best chance of catching. Eventually one afternoon we had a couple of hours and travelled to a really awkward part of the river. I think maybe on the 3rd cast I hooked a salmon, only small but it was my first Atlantic salmon!! Then another 3 casts and I got another of the same size! I can understand why people find these fish so special, you have to work so hard for them! Fortunately the surrounding valley, the river and landscape makes it worth while even if you leave empty handed that day.

We had 4 days when we had a family of 10 people here at the lodge, but they wanted to look after themselves and so did not need us, we actually felt a bit in the way! So one night we took our kayak to the coast, had a fire on the beach, made supper and about 1 am launched the kayak into a very misty fjord and went in search of coal fish, cod and sea trout. I was fly fishing and Jonny used the lure. There were fish going off everywhere, Jonny managed to hook, small coal fish, mackerel, and even a sea trout. I had fish chase my fly but not one would take the hook, they just nipped at the tail, it was very frustrating. Of course because the sun does not set we kept fishing until about 5am, then packed up back to the lodge to sleep! We did this again one other night but conditions were different and it was too unsteady for the kayak so we cast from the beach and caught a few coal fish, only small considering the huge sizes they can reach here, but really fin on a fly rod! Jonny caught another beautiful sea trout!

The week just gone we had a group of 2 guys and my good friend Marina Gibson come out to fish. Marina and I had the first day together on sone 8 which is the sone the lodge is on. We had a run through the pool each, and then on her second run through she hooked an amazing 20+lb hen fish! Her personal best! I netted the fish for her and we couldn't believe the size of it when we looked in the net, after she released it we all a bit stunned at what had just happened! I unfortunately then had to go back to the lodge to cook dinner for a group of 4 south Africans who had arrived, so I left Marina to it for a while. Once dinner was done I paddled Marina and I over to the small Island in front of the lodge, I had a floating line with a small red and black sunray I had just tied. I cast out to the pool and stripped it in and a grilse nailed it and I had my 3rd salmon! Only small compared to Marinas monster, but perfectly formed and beautifully fresh!

Marina and I had a day together on the upper part of the river, the valley was even more stunning! it was a really fun day fishing lots of different pools and stopping to make a fire and cook meat, proper boy scout stuff. We had a really experienced guide with us who knew all the hiding spots! Marina caught her personal best brown trout, it was gorgeous with incredible markings. On the next pool just before lunch she was working her was down and hooked massive coloured cock fish, she'd wanted to catch one of these for 10 years! The valley was breath taking, and it was great to see these beautiful fish up close, definitely a day I will remember!

So I'm pretty much up to date for now, all the guests are gone and currently we have no - one booked in for the rest of the season which is a shame as August is apparently a really good time to fish (so we don't mind having more time to fish! Ha!). We have some jobs to do around the lodge and of course as much fishing as we can try to do! Yesterday Jonny, I and one of the guides Kris all headed to sone 3 for the day. It was a really mild sunny day, whilst waiting for Kris I took my newly tied yellow and black tube for a run down the pool and I hooked another small salmon, definitely a good start to the day. When Kris arrived we took the boat to the next pool, Kris fished the lower section and I started fishing the upper section. Using my yellow fly again I had a larger fish take my fly whilst I was stripping the line in, it jumped pretty much as soon as it felt the hook so I had no time to strip down and get it under control, so I lost it! Gutted! a couple of casts more and I had another take unfortunately not as big as the one I'd lost but it was my 5th Norwegian salmon! Whilst I was doing that Jonny was nailing some beautiful the sea trout!

I am fast becoming the grilse queen. I realise how special salmon are and you really have to work hard for them, but I think I have had my grilse training and now I need one of these famed Norwegian big salmon! But in the mean time I will enjoy getting to catch anything and being out by the river. We have a 3 day trip hopefully planned to the top of the river next weekend, this will be my best chance of a big one. So I will let you all know what happens....!